


Nerve Endings

by selkieskin



Series: ZaintSee On Set [1]
Category: Thai Actor RPF, เพราะรักใช่ป่าว | Why R U?: The Series (TV), เพราะรักใช่ป่าว | Why R U?: The Series (TV) RPF
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Angst, Canon Compliant, Co-workers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Exhaustion, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Requited Crush, Rough Kissing, Secret Crush, Talking, Unrequited Crush, method acting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:26:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26597512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selkieskin/pseuds/selkieskin
Summary: Zee's been acting as Fighter all day, kissing Saint over and over and over, not as himself, but as his character. Their lips hurt, Zee's wrung out all his emotions to play this part, and he just needs a little comfort to keep himself going.
Relationships: Zee Pruk Panich/Saint Suppapong Udomkaewkanjana
Series: ZaintSee On Set [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1971511
Comments: 13
Kudos: 121





	Nerve Endings

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on the alternate deleted scene released in the first fanmeeting, plus the amount of interviews they've given where they said their lips were raw from retakes. I love the characters and the actors did a phenomenal job creating them, and have everything crossed for getting a series 2.

"Cut!"

Zee drew back on the couch, looking at Saint, particularly at his reddened lips, slightly parted as he panted, coming down from the scene. It wasn't just makeup, it was that they'd been kissing for so long that they were getting raw and sensitive, just like Zee's own lips. 

"It's still not quite right…" The director's voice snapped Zee out of it, and he realised he'd been staring. He looked away with not a little effort, pulling his spine straight and listening. "Take a minute, then we'll redo it. Can Fighter be more dominant this time for the close-ups? Saint, you're doing great work, but remember that this is Fighter's scene. Tutor's just letting it happen. OK?"

They reset. And ran over the same thing from the top once more. Fighter taunting Tutor and holding the textbook up over his head, Tutor leaning in and being close, so close… playing Fighter's bemused wanting wasn't hard. Saint really was so beautiful. The most beautiful person Zee had ever seen. Leaning forward a fraction so that Fighter's lips met Tutor's first felt right. Right for the characters, that was. Zee sometimes needed to remind himself to keep that straight sometimes.

Saint closed his eyes, feeling the kiss. Zee did the same, the nerve endings, rubbed raw from constant rough contact, meeting Saint's with a feather-light touch. And if Zee lingered a few seconds more than he should have on that moment, Saint played along at least. He was a professional.

But this wasn't Zee. This was Fighter. And it was Tutor. They had lines to deliver, and they did, Fighter looking at Tutor, turned on but terrified.

Saint suddenly pushed closer and climbed on top of him, and Zee met the onslaught the way he had for the past dozens of takes. And just like every time, Saint's long perfect hand trailed down as they kissed, the same route every time. Zee felt like it was starting to wear a pathway, a pathway of Saint's touch leading down to the hem of his t-shirt and down to his crotch. The moment it got too much for the camera, Saint pulled his hand off - as always - and started to mime rubbing, his hand fisting on nothing but rubbing against Zee's inner thigh through clothes, tantalisingly and frustratingly close, but it had been so many times that it had lost its spark for Zee. It would just look good for the camera angle.

After submitting to Tutor's desires he pushed himself - Fighter - to do the same, to the point where he aggressively pushed up, and switched their positions, him on top this time. 

Saint's mouth opened waiting for him as he dived back onto him, pushing him down onto the couch arm, and it was everything he could do to keep it professional and not use his tongue. Saint never did. Zee sometimes forgot, but he was trying his best to match Saint in staying professional and just concentrating on how it looked.

His hand travelled to Saint's crotch, feeling him through his jeans. No response. He kissed him desperately with his hand on the other man's dick, and just then-

"Cut!"

They drew apart, and Zee was just tired and frustrated and didn't want to keep wringing out his emotions like this, feeling all keyed-up from channeling Fighter's intense anxiety, sick of having to act dominant when he just wanted reassurance and something soft.

Saint was also in a bad way. He touched his lower lip - a spot that Fighter, Zee, had accidentally bitten on a previous take - and hissed in pain, frowning.

"OK, camera 1, let's move to the next position - you two have a rest, is there any makeup needs touching up?"

One of the makeup artists hurried over and tutted over the redness around both of their mouths, powdering them both before retreating. The camera switchover was always more complicated than it seemed, so they both knew they had a while - 10 or 15 minutes, at least. Zee sat next to Saint, feeling raw and tense and a little miserable at this point, aching for comfort.

"You OK?" Saint asked, looking at him. 

"Yeah," Zee said, voice a little rough. "Yeah, it's just a bit taxing on me, that's all. Look at you though, your poor lip. I said this before, but again, I'm sorry."

Saint huffed a quiet laugh, and wow, Zee couldn't handle how much he just wanted to shift close to him and melt into Saint's side.

"You shouldn't have done it then, P'," Saint teased gently. "But I'm OK. You look like you're struggling a bit though, right?"

Zee hung his head in shame before his much more experienced co-star.

"Is it that obvious?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" Saint protested, hand darting out to touch Zee's arm and catch his attention. Zee looked down at it, then up at Saint's face, seeing his beautiful eyes full of concern.

"I…" Zee started, feeling Saint draw the truth out of him through that touch on his arm, "I don't want to kiss you angrily any more. I've been sad and angry and scared all day. It's hard to… to feel close to you - to _Tutor_ \- when it's the same, the same… negative emotions. Shit, I don't know if this is making any sense - I'm just tired, and on edge."

"Hey," Saint replied, his hand going to Zee's cheek and Zee leaning into the touch almost desperately, eyes fixed on Saint. "I know. I can tell it's getting to you. I know what it's like, but you're doing such a great job. Can I help at all, P'Zee?"

And Zee almost asked. Almost. When he stopped himself he'd taken a breath in, opened his mouth, and… no. It would be asking too much. He couldn't. He shut his mouth again. Saint's eyes widened, concerned.

"P'? What is it?"

"It's, um…" he said, and gulped. "No, it's silly."

"P'Zee," said Saint, in a tone that was a miraculous blend of soft and steel, "tell me."

Zee licked his lips, nervous. Unsure.

"It's too much."

"I'll be the judge of that," came Saint's reply, taking control away from Zee in a way that nobody else could see but that Zee could feel right down to his bones. "Tell me."

"I… I need…" Zee stuttered, and his eyes darted round the room, taking in the crew - nobody was listening in, all too preoccupied. 

"Tell me," Saint repeated, leaning in closer so Zee wouldn't be overheard. Zee closed his eyes, taking in his scent.

"I, I need… I want to be… kissed nicely. We've just been kissing the same tense, scared way all day, and I'm wrung out. I want to feel like… Tutor… likes me again after how I acted. I keep kissing you and not-kissing you, and I just… I need-"

He was cut off by Saint's thumb drifting across his face to his lips, silencing him. Saint was so close, eyes looking all over his face to understand, cogs turning as he considered what Zee had said to him. Zee's heart gave an extra-strong flutter and started beating harder. Saint left him hanging there for far too many tortuous seconds, just mentally cross-examining him, until his gaze fell on Zee's lips.

Saint nodded.

Their lips met, and Zee melted into it and sighed in relief.

It wasn't the first time that day by a long way, but it was the first time that Zee could truly feel it. The cameras were off. They hadn't run through blocking, or read their lines off a page, and, and-

Zee was using his tongue. He could taste Saint. Saint didn't stop him the way he usually did. God, he tasted good.

Zee had an internal 'oops' moment and tried to withdraw the muscle and move his head back a fraction - he didn't want to seem too _weird_ , after all - but Saint's tongue chased his and before he knew it Saint was cradling his face, leaning in and kissing him so sweetly and so deeply he could hardly bear it.

His hand moved to Saint's waist just as Saint's moved to his neck and the back of his head, maneuvering Zee however he wanted to, Zee putty in his hands.

Saint suddenly broke the kiss, and Zee made an involuntary little _'uh'_ of disappointment. Saint's thumbs stroked his cheeks while he looked at him with his cute brown eyes, and Zee felt something in him settle, like he was finally home after a long day.

"Can't do that more than a little bit, we'll end up with someone taking a picture," Saint murmured, and that brought Zee back to their surroundings with a thud. He suddenly made to glance round at the crew to see if anybody had watched him just almost lose it because of a kiss. Saint's firm hand on his face stopped him.

"Idiot P'," he said, not breaking eye contact. "You want to make it obvious we're not acting out a scene?"

"Yeah. That, um… makes sense."

"Anyway," Saint said, hands dropping to rub Zee's shoulders - a little shoulder massage, then smoothing his hands over from the collarbones to the biceps. He drew closer, bracketing Zee in his arms even from their upright positions against the back of the sofa, and drew closer, closer… and brushed their lips together, just a brush at first, but then a small chaste press of lips, and then Saint was opening his mouth again and their tongues met on equal terms-

"OK! Scene setup, next take!"

Zee all but groaned aloud as they pulled apart. But despite all that, he did feel much better, better even than a warm bath and some tasty food, better than when he got to the end of a whole tough filming day, better than the kind of angst-filled not-kissing that had been the whole of today.

He leaned in to whisper to Saint quickly.

"Thank you." Words couldn't adequately express how much he'd needed that. It was only a small fraction of conveying his gratitude, but it was a start.

Saint smirked, and leant in. Zee felt Saint's breath on his ear as he was held by the beautiful boy.

"Any time," came Saint's response. Zee drew back and looked at him in shock, but Saint just turned away from him and smiled for the cameras, asking for a few clarifications from the director, speaking for them both. Taking care of them both, as he always did. Making Zee feel safe and in danger at the same time. 

They reset. And ran the sequence again.


End file.
